Nosce Te Ipsum
by Shinga
Summary: A curse discreetly placed hundreds of years ago on Hogwarts is resurfacing. After the unexplained death of a former classmate, Agnes Marshall needs to find some way to stop the curse… before it claims her too.
1. Questions Follow Questions

**"Nosce Te Ipsum"**

_Know Thyself_

Chapter One: "Questions Follow Questions"

By: Shinga

Disclaimer: All the characters in this first chapter, excepting Harry and Dumbledore (who are only briefly mentioned) are mine.

Author's Note: I hope to keep these notes minimal, but I must explain myself before I delve too deeply into this story. This is a **parody**. But unlike most parodies it will be _significantly_ less annoying, and it will have an actual storyline/plot. _I am making fun of Mary-Sue's…_ if this offends you, I probably don't care. Take it as a lesson and go develop your character better. Cheers!

PS. No, I _didn't _get the title from The Matrix. I was entirely unaware of the connection until my brother brought it up. So there.

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            Agnes was trying valiantly to not break the 'no running' rule by walking as quickly as possible, stumbling over her own feet a few times. Breathing erratically from lack of efficient exercise, her pale cheeks flushed and perspiration made her dark thick hair cling to her face. She had three books clutched haphazardly to her side by a thin arm, her robes bunched uncomfortable over her elbow. _Once_ _again_, she was late for Potions. This happened every day of the week after vacation… it was amazing how easily her sleeping schedule was disrupted.

            The door to the Potions classroom was closed. Agnes came to a halt in front of it, panting and grimacing at her inevitable punishment. Inhaling deeply to calm her thundering heart, Agnes slowly opened the door.

            Though fully expecting the embarrassing silence that normally greeted her, along with a glare from Mrs. Robins, a mild murmur filled the space of the room and the teacher didn't seem to notice Agnes at all. Agnes, unnerved but relieved, rushed as quietly as possible to her desk.

            'As quietly as possible' ended up not being quiet at all. With her heavy backpack and her books nearly slipping from underneath her arm, Agnes toppled into her seat noisily. Mrs. Robins glared from her place by the blackboard. She scowled and waited for Agnes to settle down, tapping her wand on the board impatiently.

            "Now that we are all present," said Mrs. Robins heavily, giving Agnes a meaning look. "I'm afraid I've been given some unfortunate news to pass on to all of you, from the Principle of _Enrichment_ _Magic_ himself." Mrs. Robins glanced down at the manilla folder on her desk with a frown. "Some of you remember Laura Peters. She left here about six months ago when her father was transferred to Scotland."

            The girl beside Agnes gave a sharp gasp. Agnes glanced over and recognized the large student as Ursula Witherspoon, though she didn't know her very well.

            "Laura has been attending Hogwarts under Headmaster Dumbledore and had been faring very well there," Mrs. Robins pressed a hand against her chest and closed her eyes, taking a tense breath. "It is my grievous duty to inform you that she has passed from this world."

            A chorus of gasps filled Agnes' ears and a whimper from Ursula. Agnes didn't respond, but she felt her heart quicken.

            "It is a _terrible_ tragedy, particularly for her family and other loved ones," said Mrs. Robins. "She was young and had a wonderful life ahead of her, but circumstance took her away from us too soon in a tragic accident. In her place in our hearts she leaves a gap, a deep hole which nothing will ever fill."

            Despite how guilty it made her feel, Agnes couldn't help but inwardly scoff. Though Mrs. Robins was a licensed Potions teacher, she would've made a better poet… or worse. It was hard to compare the horrendousness of both Mrs. Robins' passions.

            "We mourn our loss," Mrs. Robins said, but then sighed and tapped her wand meaningfully on her desk. "But, we must move on. We'll not be mixing potions today, which is why I announced yesterday not to bring your cauldrons. Instead we'll be reading up on a bit on the impact Potions has on literature!" The groans in the room were audible, but Mrs. Robins managed to blissfully ignore them. "First off, I'll hand over your essays you turned in before Spring Break."

            Beside Agnes, Ursula's round cheeks were glistening with unchecked tears. Her cool blue eyes were bloodshot and she sniffled loudly. She noticed Agnes staring and managed an offensive glare. Agnes smiled at her uncomfortably. "Are you okay?" she asked in a whisper as Mrs. Robins distracted herself by nagging some unfortunate student.

            "No," said Ursula angrily.

            "Oh… I'm sorry."

            "_Miss_ _Marshall_!"

            Agnes jumped and sat up instantly, staring a stern Mrs. Robins square in the face. The teacher snorted and handed the three page-long essay back to Agnes. "Thank you," said Agnes, secretly proud of the sketchy red 'B' on the top.

            "Next time I want a better conclusion," Mrs. Robins said, managing a quick smile before handing Ursula hers.

            Agnes' thoughts were occupied during the entirely pointless lesson Mrs. Robins had decided to teach. She almost felt bad for not having known Laura Peters. She faintly remembered the girl, with her frazzled brown hair and braces. She'd not been an overly social girl, and spent a lot of time reading for no reason. Agnes had always suspected her reason for not making more friends was the bad acne Laura seemed doomed to always bear. Agnes squirmed at remembering only negatively about the deceased. Forcing herself to remember more, she noted to herself that Laura had been good-humored, and didn't snort too much when she laughed.

            Ursula obviously wasn't paying much attention either, Agnes noted. She usually didn't, but this time she wasn't doodling flowers on her notes. Instead she had a dreamy look on her face. She wasn't crying anymore, and her frown was unnerving instead of sad.

            After class was over, Agnes put her books into her frail backpack and heaved it over her shoulders with a grunt. Ursula surprised her by setting a hand on her arm. She had an odd look in her eyes.

            "Can I…" Ursula blinked and frowned, changing her mind. "Want to hang out for lunch?"

            Agnes stared. Ursula met her astonished expression with blank determination, her wavy blonde hair framing her overly generous face nicely. Agnes shrugged. "Okay," she said. "I usually eat with my sister, but I think she has lunch a different hour today."

            Ursula forced a smile. "I'll see you then. I have Herbology next. Goodbye." She gathered her things and walked out of the classroom, head bowed.

            Agnes nearly followed, then paused and looked back at Mrs. Robins. "How did she die?" she asked, as soon as the other students were gone.

            The middle-aged woman looked up and blinked. "Who?" she asked, then sighed. "Oh, of course, Laura. It was an accident outside the castle, I think. I'm afraid the details were given to her family only."

            "_Castle_?" Agnes found herself asking, despite how disrespectful of Laura it sounded.

            Mrs. Robins grinned. "_Terribly_ unfair, isn't it? Oh well, I hear the weather is pretty fickle. I'd go mad in a week." She shrugged. "Hurry on to your next class, Agnes, before you get yourself into more trouble."

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            On the way to Transfiguration, Agnes' thoughts collected themselves without her permission. Something about the Laura's story nagged at her mind unpleasantly. It seemed like there was an element missing from it. While the faculty had no exact obligation to tell the students what _exactly_ happened to Laura, Mrs. Robins had seemed a bit too vague about it. Agnes had a tendency to be insensitive without meaning to… but she did know that telling the class that Laura had, for example, been crushed by thousands of pounds of stones falling from a tower, it would've been met badly.

            Transfiguration was at least interesting. Agnes successfully turned a table leg into a rat, though unfortunately that hadn't been the assignment and gave the teacher quite a scare. Agnes had her wand confiscated for the remainder of the lesson. She slouched down into her seat and frowned. She hated that class.

            The next two classes were better, though Agnes couldn't focus properly. Every time she tried to recite History of Magic lessons in her head, or recall Runes, it seemed her mind poked around more about Laura Peters.

            Finally, lunch came around. Though it was only a short break from the day, Agnes approached the mess hall in good spirits. On instinct, she looked around for her sister, but she spotted Ursula sitting alone at one of the smaller tables and remembered her agreement. With a friendly smile, she went and sat across from her.

            Ursula looked up in surprise, and gave Agnes an odd look before blinking. "Oh… I didn't think you'd actually sit here."

            Agnes frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

            "No one ever does," said Ursula with a shrug. "I mean, Laura used to."

            "You were Laura's friend?" Agnes asked with a note of surprise. She set her heavy backpack down on the ground next to the bench. Something clattered in it.

            Ursula scowled, her blue eyes darkening in annoyance. "Yes," she said shortly. "We were roommates before she moved to Scotland. We were all we had… neither of us has ever been very good at making friends."

            Agnes nodded in what she hoped was a sympathetic manner. She had never been good at making friends either, though it didn't bother her as much as it probably should have.

            "_Listen_," said Ursula, wringing her hands. "I don't know who else to go with this… I know you're not the gossiping kind. I see those girls who spread notes with rude comments about other people written on them. Usually about _me_," she added with a snort. "_Fat_ Ursula, _monstrous_ Ursula… I bet they spell _'monstrous'_ wrong." Blinking, she shook her head. "But… you're not one of them. And… I need some one to talk to. The teachers probably won't listen to me."

            Agnes felt a sudden twinge of uneasiness… she'd never been a very good listener. "Well," she said slowly, glancing around nervously. "If it'll make you feel better, okay."

            Ursula smiled mirthlessly. "It's nothing as quaint as melodramatic whining, if you're wondering," she said. "It's something more." Her smile turned to an uncomfortable frown. "You see… Laura had been sending me owls constantly when she had to move away. We were best friends, and the move killed us. I sent her letters, she replied, and we stayed close. Sometimes we even talked in the fire." She glanced around her. "She started school at Hogwarts in September this year. At first her letters were simple, telling me about the teachers and the students. There were other things… she told me her acne had gotten significantly better, and laughingly blamed it on Britain's weather. But..." Ursula's eyes watered sadly. "Then it started to worry me. She told me her hair was changing after that, and that was okay… but then she told me her nose was smaller. She was starting to sound… unsure about the changes. She even panicked some. I was uneasy too, and told her to consult some one. She did, but no one at Hogwarts seemed bothered by it. I continued to urge her to tell the Headmaster, but soon she began shrugging the changes off and telling me they were for the better anyway. She made friends easier, and even had a couple of boys vying for her affections. Soon it got to the point where she… forgot she had changed at all. She acted puzzled when I brought it up."

            "Didn't her parents notice?" Agnes asked, fascinated.

            "She didn't see them… she stayed at Hogwarts over vacation. Which is odd, if you knew Laura… her and her parents were really close. She would do anything to spend more time with them," Ursula shook her head. "It got weirder. She owled me, telling me she had a new boyfriend named Harry. She went on and on about him… apparently he's famous over there. I looked it up, he's in some of our textbooks, but I guess they make a bigger deal about it there. It seemed to change her… all she ever focused on was this Harry idiot. I asked her if she was even studying anymore… she said no, but she still excelled in everything. That was when I started worrying a lot… Laura was never really good in school." Ursula had tears streaming down her face now. She sniffed, embarrassed, and dried her cheeks with her sleeve. "Then one day she sent an owl… and it sounded much more like she'd sounded when she first started changing. It was panicked, and I could tell she was scared. But something was off about it. It seemed… flat."

            "Flat…" Agnes interjected. "Like it almost wasn't the same person?"

            "Like there was no person at all!" Ursula said urgently. "It was like she'd become some… some stupid book character with no personality. The owl was… melodramatic, almost. Laura isn't like that. But I gave her a benefit of a doubt… she said Harry was in trouble at Hogwarts and a lot of evil things were happening. I know things are bad in Britain… my dad says some of what happens there affects America's magic system too. Harry is apparently a big aspect. Laura vowed in her owl to me that she'd stay by his side no matter what." Ursula sighed. "Laura isn't the type to go so silly over some guy, no matter how brave and noble and all the other traits she tittered on about."

            "Was that… before the accident?"

            Ursula snorted. "It obviously wasn't _after_ it," she said scathingly, then shook her head. "Not right before, no. After that, she didn't owl anymore. I was worried, but the teachers here checked Hogwarts and said she was, in fact, doing all right. I tried owling her parents to ask why Laura wasn't sending letters, but they didn't reply either. Finally I sent her an owl…" she gulped and tightened the grip on her own hands. "She sent one back… and acted like she didn't even know me. She claimed she was friends with no one here… and she called the school a _'dreadful_, _awful_ _place'_. She said she was leaving all the abuse she received here and moving on. I tried another owl to reason with her… she sent a Howler after that. Half the hall heard it, but no one bothered to ask why I got it."

            Agnes stared for a while. "And… then?"

            "That was it. I figured maybe I'd done something to make her mad… but I decided it wasn't worth it to make her angrier. I wouldn't want her to send worse than a Howler…" Ursula sighed.

            "Sometimes…" Agnes said uneasily, shifting in her seat. "Sometimes people just change for… for the worst. Maybe she was just so distraught about everything in her life changing that she just took on a whole new life and, er… created allusions about her past so she could somehow comfort herself…?"

            Ursula burst into unexpected laughter, slapping the wooden table loudly. "Yeah, I looked for a _crap_ psychological answer first too," she said. "Which is just dandy, but what about her _physical_ changes? Psychology can't explain away that nose."

            Agnes blinked. "Maybe she exaggerated?"

            "She sent pictures," said Ursula, squinting. "I looked into this deeply, Agnes. Something _weird_ happened to Laura. Personality changes, memory loss, physical makeover… she became a stupid girly-girl, all gaga over _'Harry'_, going on about her problems with jealous boys and something about her 'weird powers'." Ursula frowned. "I don't even _know_ what that was about the weird powers. She seemed to be less bothered by _that_ than by whoever _'Draco'_ was."

            "What do you think it was then?" asked Agnes.

            "I don't know," said Ursula. "I _really_ don't. I don't know much about Hogwarts, maybe everyone over there is a giggly moron."

            Agnes cocked her head, her heavy braids almost weighing her over to one side. "It's the death you're bothered by."

            Ursula gave her a scrupulous look. "Aren't _you_?"

            After an uncomfortable pause, Agnes admitted quietly, "I didn't know her as well as you did… so, I'm not as bothered."

            Ursula seethed shortly before shrugging. "I shouldn't expect much more, I guess," she said coolly. "But, _I_ don't think it was an accident. I think it's somehow connected to all these changes that happened in her."

            "I agree."

            Shocked, Ursula gaped at the calm Agnes for a minute before speaking. "Do you?"

            "Yes," Agnes said with a quick nod. "Something's been bothering me about the story ever since Mrs. Robins told it this morning… like there's something important hidden."

            "They told me more," Ursula said. "Before classes. They said she'd been out on the lake when she drowned. I asked questions, but they refused to answer them. I _know_ they're hiding something."

            "Why would they hide something though?" Agnes asked.

            "Because it has to do with her _changes_!" said Ursula impatiently. "Something went _weird_ over there that changed Laura and possibly affected more than her. Her death _is_ connected, and whatever happened, _they_ don't want it out."

            Agnes considered this for a long time while staring down at her twiddling thumbs. It seemed insane… why should the faculty hide _any_thing? Things were indeed bad over in England… and rumor had it that whatever was going on could spread overseas. At first Agnes saw Laura's changes as nothing too harmful… she went from an unattractive friendless girl to being lovely and popular. Agnes didn't care, personally, for the idea of popularity… and the idea of having more than one male after her certainly put her in a state of uneasiness. Even _one_ boy would freak her out.

            But once she reconsidered her opinions about Laura, she saw more of Ursula's side. Becoming a drone of society's images of beauty and deprived suddenly of every aspect of your original personality was, probably, wrong somehow.

            "I don't understand," she said, still frowning down at her hands. "It _does_ sound like a curse… to be something you're not and eventually leading to some mysterious death and all that. Memory loss is a pretty common curse… but all those other things make no sense. Why curse some one to be prettier? Why curse her so boys would like her, or that she become really good in school? It seems pointless."

            "You can't know suffering without knowing happiness first," said Ursula coldly. "Whoever came up with this curse is a real sadistic bastard."

            "But it's pointless!" Agnes insisted. "Why _Laura_? She wasn't that much of a target… I don't know much about her, but I knew her dad wasn't all that important of a wizard, and wasn't her mom a Muggle?"

            Ursula leaned back a bit from the table and frowned. "I don't _know_ why. I want to find out…"

            "It won't be easy," said Agnes.

            "No, it won't," said Ursula.

            "In fact," Agnes continued thoughtfully. "I'd say near impossible. Your chances are pretty slim… next to nothing, I bet."

            Ursula scowled.

            "Well, think about it," said Agnes. "If some one wanted to go through that much trouble in a curse, they'd do it to some one who was a bigger deal. Like whomever _Jerry_ is."

            "Harry," Ursula corrected. "Harry Potter."

            Agnes frowned. "Oh… sounds familiar. I think my sister mentioned him once. I may've read about him…" Agnes snapped her fingers and her brown eyes lit up with an idea. "_Margaret_!"

            "_Ursula_," said the bigger girl through clenched teeth.

            "No, no," said Agnes, shaking her hands. "My _sister_, Margaret! She reads too much, she may know something about what happened to Laura."

            Ursula gave her a dubious look. "You really think she would?"

            "Why not? She knows countless other useless things."

            "This is _not_--" Ursula stopped, and then nodded shortly. "Okay, we'll ask your sister. I hope she knows something."

            "Me too," said Agnes, and meant it.

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            The day passed with Agnes almost itching with anticipation. She'd never been involved in anything so mysterious, and despite how she knew it bothered Ursula, she couldn't help but be a _little_ excited. Mr. McNeil never spoke about curses that much in Charms, but he'd mentioned quite a few of the smaller ones. Agnes herself had learned quite a few hexes, though she'd never been given any reason to use them. But now she could likely be in on one of the weirdest curses ever known. Or maybe it was simply a lot of weird coincidences and psychology, like she thought originally. Which would be, in her mind, a great pity.

            After dinner, Agnes rushed to her room that she shared with Margaret. Her first five years in Enrichment Magic had been spent with a girl named Jennifer, but they'd never gotten along and finally Jennifer requested to be moved. Margaret was Jennifer's replacement by her own request, and Agnes enjoyed every minute shared with her sister.

            Margaret was waiting on her bed with a large book propped on her small lap. She smiled when Agnes entered, her short face bright in the orange sunlight streaming through the small windows. Margaret was only younger than Agnes by a year, but looked more like a 6th grader than a 9th grader. She was smaller than Agnes by a foot, and as tiny as most the new students.

            "Hi," she said. "You sounded pretty urgent in the hall earlier. What is it you wanted to ask me?"

            "It'll sound pretty crazy," said Agnes, sitting on the bed. "I guess I can tell you before Ursula gets here."

            "Ursula?" Margaret's face lit up. "Agnes, have you actually made a _friend_?"

            Agnes paused and reflected on Ursula's obvious irritation with her earlier. "I guess…?" she said uncertainly.

            Margaret grinned happily. "That's _wonderful_! So, why is she coming?"

            "It has to do with that girl who died at Hogwarts."

            "Laura Peters," said Margaret, nodding and frowning in confusion at this connection. "I heard in Defense class. Pretty sad, I talked to her a few times while she still went here. I heard it was a bad accident."

            "They _say_ she drowned," said Agnes dramatically.

            Margaret cocked her head. "They _say_? You don't believe that?"

            "Uh…" Agnes chewed on her lip. "We think… uh, _Ursula_ thinks… that Laura had been cursed with things like popularity and good grades and stuff since she got there and it eventually led to her death, which may have been more serious than an accidental drowning."

            Margaret merely stared.

            "It made a _lot_ more sense at lunch," Agnes assured.

            "Maybe… Ursula can explain," said Margaret patiently.

            Only a few minutes passed in silence before a firm knock interrupted it. Margaret called an invitation and Ursula stepped heavily through the door, wearing her casual clothes. Agnes shifted in her skirt… she hadn't changed from her uniform yet, and only now realized she was the only one who hadn't. Margaret was in sweats.

            "Hello, Ursula," said Margaret in a sweet tone. "It's nice to meet you. You can sit on my bed if you like."

            Ursula accepted the offer and once she sat on the end of the bed, the mattress leaned over to her favor, and Margaret nearly toppled. She steadied herself and smiled politely.

            "So. Did you tell her everything?" Ursula asked Agnes.

            "No," said Agnes. "All I did was confuse her… you'll have to tell her."

            Ursula snorted and rolled her eyes, but turned her head towards Margaret and began to retell the story of Laura's transformation. Margaret listened with rapt attention, her eyebrows furrowed and her face contorted with concentration. Once the story was completed Margaret hummed to herself, which she often did when she was thinking heavily on something.

            "So… what do you think?" Ursula asked slowly. "Agnes said you might have an idea."

            "I… do," said Margaret, and shocked Agnes by sounding very unsure… Margaret was always sure of herself. "But it's crazy!"

            "What is it?" Ursula urged her.

            "I read something along the lines…" said Margaret."It wasn't much information, but then again I wasn't looking for that. I remember being puzzled by it, but not thinking much more. And I think I remember the book I found it in."

            Agnes and Ursula both stared at her. "You mean… there's a curse that makes you pretty and then kills you?" Agnes demanded, her plain brown eyes wide.

            "Not so simple as that," said Margaret, shaking her head. "But that's a very basic element of it, I think."

            "Why did some one cast it on Laura?" Ursula asked, her cheeks reddening.

            "I don't know," said Margaret. "I'll have to read it again and see if that gives us any sort of hint." She frowned at her watch. "I'll have to wait until tomorrow night before we can look into it. The book is in the restricted section of the library, and I'll need Mr. Carmen's permission."

            "That excuse for a _'warrior against the evils of wizardry'_," said Ursula with a derisive snort, using the term the Defense teacher often used on himself. "I've never met anyone who goes to bed _that_ early."

            "I'll have the book by this time tomorrow night," said Margaret evenly. "And likely I'll have found and read into the curse, and I can tell you both about it. Then maybe what all happened to Laura will make a little more sense."

            "Or less," said Ursula.

            Agnes quietly agreed.

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	2. The Exchange Program

**"Nosce Te Ipsum"**

_Know Thyself_

Chapter Two: "The Exchange Program"

By: Shinga

Disclaimer: All mine… er, except for Blaise Zabini and Hogwarts and the whole Harry Potter universe… besides that, though, mine. Nyeh.

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            Ursula and Agnes ignored each other throughout the day, as per usual, but did exchange meaningful glances at lunch and in the halls. At lunch Agnes sat with Margaret, who was deeply involved in a book.

            "Is that it?" asked Agnes, setting her backpack down and leaning over the table to glance at the pages.

            Margaret squeaked and abruptly slammed the book shut, rushing to set it back in her bag. Her small face was flushed. "No!" she said. "I haven't gotten to see Mr. McNeil yet today. I don't have a Defense lesson, so I'll have to wait until dinner to get him in a free moment."

            "Wait until after he eats," said Agnes with a knowing nod, sitting back down on the bench. "I heard that's when he gives in the easiest."

            Margaret's eyes widened in horror. "Agnes, where did you hear that?"

            "I overheard a 12th grader saying that," said Agnes. "I wasn't eavesdropping, I just happened to pass by when she said that… her friends were laughing pretty loudly. I didn't stay to find out why."

            Margaret blushed again. "I _see_," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Have you seen Ursula today?"

            "Sure, in the halls and stuff. I only have two classes with her… Potions and Charms," Agnes said.

            "You should come to breakfast more often," said Margaret accusingly. "I sat with her today. She was near tears when we talked more about Laura. That poor girl is distraught over her loss… you _could_ be a bit more sensitive to that."

            Agnes blinked rapidly. "I don't know how… it's not as if I have a lot of people experience," she said defensively.

            "It would do you some good," said Margaret. "Ursula is a good person… you should get to know her better."

            "I doubt she would like that."

            "You never know," said Margaret with a huff.

            Agnes set her hands in her lap and chewed on her bottom lip. "So… what was that book you were reading?"

            Margaret blushed deeply. "It's nothing," she said quickly.

            Frowning, Agnes finished her sandwich and stood up. "Herbology is a bit early today, so I need to go. Don't forget to talk to McNeil!"

            "I wouldn't _forget--"_ Margaret began to say, but Agnes had already left.

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            Agnes ended up sitting beside Ursula at dinner. They didn't speak much, at least not beyond the customary 'how are you' type of conversation. Ursula looked unnerved and rather stoic at times. Agnes avoided questioning anything personal… she didn't really feel it was her place to do so. She always figured if she asked about some one's feelings, she'd be smacked… even though Margaret managed to pry into the emotions of a complete stranger and somehow come out of it unscathed. It was one talent Agnes did not possess.

            "It's kind of scary, if you think about it," said Ursula, unprompted, as she poked at her vegetables with a fork.

            Agnes blinked. "What is?"

            "Putting yourself in Laura's position."

            For a long moment, Agnes reflected silently. "I'll have an easier time placing myself when what happened makes more sense."

            "I guess so," said Ursula thoughtfully. "But if it is a curse, which I'm _sure_ it is, think about it. Can you imagine changing how you look, feel, act, remember?"

            "No," said Agnes. "I really can't. But I've never wanted to, so that might be part of it."

            "Wanted to?" Ursula asked, taking a bit of her steak.

            "I've never wanted to be pretty or popular… it just seems to be too bothersome," said Agnes. "Haven't you noticed? All the pretty girls seem to be too distracted by boys and friends to ever have time to appreciate the better things in life. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. It seems like it'd get old."

            "Don't you want to be pretty though? The envy of women, the desire of men? Do well in school without trying, have fleets of talents at your disposal?"

            "If life is too easy, what's the point in it?" asked Agnes with a shrug. She stood and stretched. "I need to go change and wait for Margaret. Do you want to come with me?"

            "I'm almost done," Ursula muttered, not looking up from her plate. "I'll be along later."

            Agnes nodded and left Ursula to her meal. The mess hall was always the noisiest during dinner, but at least today wasn't Friday. Fridays were always the worst. Once outside of the cafeteria, Agnes breathed in relief. She didn't do well in crowds… she hadn't succumbed to panic attacks for near five years now, but she still preferred less people.

            The hallways were blissfully empty. She spotted Mrs. Robins in one of the classrooms she passed by. The teacher smiled and waved and Agnes waved back.

            Margaret hadn't showed up in the room yet. Agnes took advantage of the time alone to change out of her skirt and blouse and into more comfortable attire. In a considerably more confident mood in her loose t-shirt and jeans, she sat on the bed and picked up her notebook. On it was Runes notes, but she started doodling various animals on the corners.

            The door opened and Margaret stepped in, looking forcibly calm. Agnes stared at her, or more exactly the large black book tucked under her arm.

            "Is that it?"

            "No," said Margaret flatly. "It's the tragic story of two young people having a torrid love affair in France." She sighed. "Yes, it's it." She set the book down on her bed and opened it up to a page marked by inserts of notes. "I haven't had time to read it, but I _did_ find it. Give me a moment, all right? By the time Ursula gets here, I'll have finished reading and I'll give you two an idea."

            Agnes nodded an agreement. Margaret didn't bother to change out of her uniform as she sat with her legs folded on her bed, leaned over the book with intense posture. Agnes watched her sister and admired her. She always took things so seriously, and if anyone could figure this thing out about Laura, it was Margaret.

            Several minutes later Margaret sat up with a thoughtful hum. "This is _definitely _weird," she said.

            "Tell me," said Agnes.

            "I'll wait until Ursula gets here," said Margaret. "Though it's only one page, its implications are… interesting, and varied. It could mean anything."

            "Stop being so vague," said Agnes with a huff.

            "I'm sorry, but…" Margaret shook her head in a bewildered manner. "This whole _thing_ is vague!"

            Agnes started to question that when the door opened. Ursula stood in the entrance, still in uniform, her chin raised stubbornly. Her eyes were oddly cold and she glanced from Agnes to Margaret when her demeanor suddenly changed. She became desperate-looking and somewhat tired. "Anything?" she asked thickly.

            "Sit," said Margaret calmly. "And I can read this to both of you. We'll discuss the hints in it afterwards."

            "You'd make a good teacher, Maggie," said Ursula, and Agnes twitched. _'Maggie'_? Ursula sat down on the end of Margaret's bed, again making it lean heavily down. Margaret didn't topple this time.

            Margaret mostly ignored Ursula's comment, but managed a small glowing smile. It vanished when she heaved the book onto her lap and cleared her throat.

            "_The curse has no name_," she began darkly. "_This curse was cast at an unknown time, by an unknown wizard, and for unknown reasons. It is tied to Hogwarts only, and bars it from outside influence. None shall pass its gates without suffering the consequences. There will be joy abounding, love entwined, tragedy engulfing, and hate glowing. All of these will overflow, and they shall remember no more. But such happiness will lead to death, and such sorrow will pass from the minds of all those who once knew them."_

            After a long pause, Ursula made an odd choking noise. "That's _it_? That's all it said?"

            "That tells us nothing!" Agnes added.

            "No, it tells us more than we knew," said Margaret sternly. "While we have no idea the name, or origin, we know that a curse in Hogwarts is what killed Laura."

            "We _guessed_ that much," said Ursula, but sounding less vindictive.

            "What's with the bad poetry part?" Agnes asked. "With the joy, love, tragedy and hate and happiness leading to death and sorrow or something?"

            "That happened to Laura," Ursula answered her. "At least, I guess it did… with her becoming smart, talented and beautiful, with her boyfriend and all that… then dying."

            "Oh," said Agnes, with a thoughtful expression on her face. "_'And they shall remember no_ _more'_… that may have been the memory loss. Laura thought she had no friends here, and this was a terrible abusive school, when nothing like that happened."

            "She was happy here," muttered Ursula.

            Margaret nodded, apparently shaken. "So I guess this proves this curse is real," she said.

            "Real?" Agnes inquired with a frown.

            "This book is a book of legends and myths," said Margaret. "Stories to scare little kids, more or less… but its restricted anyway. Some of the stories could lead to kids running off and testing old curses, which never turns out good. This particular curse, which we now _know_ is real, is old, and probably overlooked… so much that it became just legend. It may have not been too public to begin with."

            "It may be why we don't ever do exchanges," said Ursula.

            "It's dangerous over in Britain right now," said Agnes. "I wouldn't think they would anyway."

            "What do we do with this?" Ursula asked of them. "Do we tell the faculty?"

            "No," said Margaret, surprising them both with her tone of finality. "There's no point… they probably know. We can keep this to ourselves. There's nothing anyone can do about it. I'm sure the Headmaster of Hogwarts knows… maybe they're doing something about the curse now."

            "Yeah," said Ursula uncertainly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

            Agnes said nothing.

---------------------------

            Two weeks passed by with few mentions of Laura. Rumors stopped spreading through Enrichment Magic fairly quickly and kids found new victims of gossip very quickly. Agnes kept up with her schoolwork and found it gradually easier to get back into the routine of studying and passing. Her grades remained respectable and she remained as studiously anti-social as before.

            But there were differences. Now Agnes had some one to talk to outside of Margaret. Ursula was becoming somewhat less defensive and short-tempered with Agnes, though Agnes' naiveté often irritated her to the point of scathing remarks and glares. Often the three of them ate together and stayed in the sisters' room… Ursula's new roommate was never exactly up for company.

            In the middle of the third week since Laura's death, the teachers announced at breakfast that they had important news, and that everyone had to attend dinner that night to hear it.

            "Maybe they decided to finally get rid of these silly uniforms," said a tall, pretty girl nearby Agnes that morning.

            "Totally," said her equally stunning friend. "They think just because we're witches that we can't have taste. Like, _whatever_! This skirt is too long… girl, I have legs. I should _so_ show them."

            "I know, for real!"

            "I doubt that's it," Agnes interjected. They stared at her in confusion for a moment before laughing and walking away. Agnes couldn't help but be slightly annoyed by their assumption. What was wrong with the uniforms, anyway?

            She caught up with Margaret and Ursula after breakfast in the halls before class. "Did you hear?" she asked.

            "Yes," said Margaret. "Some _important_ _news_ at dinner." They all exchanged uneasy glances.

            "Maybe it has nothing to do with Laura," said Ursula. "It's been three weeks already. People move on quickly here."

            "It won't do to sit here and worry about it all day," said Margaret, nodding her head firmly. "We're to go about our day and not think on it." She said this confidently enough, but even Agnes could tell she didn't intend to ignore it.

---------------------------

            Dinner was noisier than ever. Everyone in the school, it seemed, was present. The chatter had become a droll growl and Agnes vehemently hated it. She rarely had strong feelings for much of anything, but the thick air consisting of the sweat of a couple hundred people was not her idea of fun. She sat crouched close to Margaret and Ursula, her head framed by her usual twin braids, a scowl on her face.

            "It isn't so bad, Agnes," said Margaret, keeping a hand on her older sister's arm. "It'll be over pretty quick, most people only want to hear the announcement and then leave… then we can eat dinner normally."

            "They'd better," Agnes sulked.

            Soon the Principle appeared and most the room silenced in surprise. The Principle was a short, balding man dressed in a crisp Muggle suit, his small eyes a dark color, from what everyone could see. The Principle made a rare appearance and usually just signed papers from the privacy of his office, leaving everything else to the teachers. Generally no one cared much for him.

            "Greetings, Enrichment students!" he said, with a cheery grin that silenced the remaining conversationalists. "It's been quite some time since I've talked to the lot of you. But today I have an important and amazing announcement to make!" He grinned around for effect. Quite a few people coughed. "After much deliberation, Enrichment Magic School and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have decided to do an official student exchange for next year!"

            Mixed reactions filled the room. Mostly, no one said anything, but a few groups mingled with gasps and squeals of delight. Agnes, Ursula and Margaret merely exchanged startled glances.

            "We'll have a sign-up sheet on the bulletin out in the hallway by the cafeteria," said the Principle. "If you want to spend a school year in one of the most acclaimed magic schools in history, sign your name! No one under 8th grade will be allowed, and we have ways of knowing how old you are when you sign up, so no funny business."

            The rest of what he said was unimportant. He merely went on and on about how lovely the 'campus' was, and how the classes were similar to that here, etcetera etcetera.

            Agnes was suddenly not hungry. Judging by the looks on Ursula and Margaret's faces, they weren't either. After the Principle was done talking, Ursula was the first to start to leave. The sisters followed closely behind.

            Once in the privacy of Agnes and Margaret's room, Ursula whirled around and nearly exploded, "Are they _insane_? Do they have no idea what happened to Laura? Some one else will die, you bet your asses on it!"

            "Calm _down_!" Margaret said, though clearly shaken. "_Surely_ the Headmaster of Hogwarts has fixed things by now or else they'd not be crazy enough to risk the life of another student."

            "Or _would_ they?" Ursula snarled. "These _Hogwarts_ guys may be more perverse than we know! Laura told me she approached the teachers with her worries and none of them did a damn thing!"

            "They could have been affected by the curse!" Margaret argued, standing by Ursula, looking up at her pleadingly. "Maybe they didn't pay attention because they didn't see the changes as being abnormal!"

            "_Some one is going to die_!" Ursula nearly shrieked.

            "Enough!" Agnes shouted, silencing the large girl marginally. Ursula, still breathing erratically, plopped heavily down on Margaret's bed. Margaret sat by her and placed a comforting hand on her massive shoulder. "Ursula, I agree with Margaret. I don't think the faculties would be irresponsible enough to do an exchange with that risk still in place."

            "But you don't _know_ that," Ursula snapped.

            "I do," said Agnes with a confidence she didn't feel. "And to _prove_ I believe that, _I'm_ going to sign up."

            Now even Margaret was staring at her uncertainly. "Agnes… er…" she said.

            "No, Margaret, you're right," said Agnes. "It's safe… otherwise they wouldn't do it. I'll sign up. Surely a lot of people will, so I probably won't even be picked, but even if I am, I'm fine with it. I trust them."

            After an almost emotional pause, Ursula coughed. "You're just as nuts as those _morons_ in charge," she said.

            "I'll worry," said Margaret. "But I'm just scared. I think it'll be fine. Go on and sign up, Agnes."

            Agnes nodded, once again filling them with confidence by emptying it out of herself completely… not that she knew how that worked, but it did. Margaret smiled and Ursula didn't look as angry anymore. Agnes left to go to the sign-up sheet.

---------------------------

            Two weeks passed and Agnes almost forgot about her name on the sign-up list outside the mess hall. Around sixty people had signed up after owling their parents for permission first, which Agnes had pretty much forgotten to do, but she did owl to let them know she'd signed up. Lucky for her, they approved of the choice heartily.

            Ursula had cooled over the course of two weeks. Margaret, Agnes assumed, was a bit part in this. She spent a lot of time consoling the bigger girl, and they spend a considerable amount of time together. Agnes spent her time studying for tests and doing her homework, unaware of the implications she'd signed up for two weeks prior.

            The morning of May 5th had more students gathered for breakfast than any other day in the history of Enrichment. Agnes picked a table farther apart from the thicker crowds of people, Ursula and Margaret sitting on either side. Margaret was clutching Agnes' hand nervously.

            The Principle once again stood up in front of the student body, this time dressed in dark blue wizard robes, perhaps in honor of the more tradition-based Hogwarts. He raised his hands for silence, a calm smile on his face.

            "We have chosen our exchange students!" he said, not exciting near the response he probably wished for. His smile faltering slightly, he continued, "Joining us in the fall semester next year will be young Blaise Zabini, fresh from Hogwarts to be educated in the _brilliant_ ways of the US wizardry!"

            Ursula began to snicker… obviously she found the Principle amusing, or disagreed with the appraisal of US magic. Agnes was just annoyed.

            "And the student to be sent to Hogwarts for their next year," said the Principle, rubbing his hands together for suspense. "_Agnes_ _Marshall_!"

            A few confused individuals clapped, not recognizing the name, and Agnes sat in her seat, her pale face ashen. Ursula's eyes were wide with horror as she stared at Agnes, and Margaret gawked with her mouth hanging open.

            "Where is Agnes?" asked the Principle, seemingly unaware of the awkward silence. "She _is_ here, is she not?"

            Agnes' arm rose almost without her consent. Her pale cheeks grew hot.

            "Ah, there, in the back! Let's have a hand for the winner of our exchange program!" The Principle prompted the students by clapping loudly. They followed suit and several people craned their necks to get a look at Agnes.

            A girl at the next table laughed towards Agnes. "Wow, couldn't you just _die_ of the embarrassment?"

            "Of all the badly times jokes…" Ursula said, and Agnes nodded mutely.

---------------------------


	3. A Summer of Apprehension

**"Nosce Te Ipsum"**

_Know Thyself_

Chapter Three: "A Summer of Apprehension"

By: Shinga

Disclaimer: You can figure it out, I'm sure.

------------------------

            School ended with little mention of Agnes leaving. Mrs. Robins seemed mildly disappointed, if only because Agnes was one of the few who never openly sniggered at her during class. "I do hope that Zabini kid has as much sense as you," she'd said with a dramatic sigh. Agnes had smiled politely and wished her luck with the British exchange student while Ursula sat beside her and hid her chortling with a hand.

            The last day was almost unsettling, as several classmates went and shook Agnes' hand, wishing her luck. She didn't know any of them, or at least had forgotten their names, and Ursula usually stood by and whispered their name so she could return the greeting or well-wishes.

            Agnes was filled with something related to confidence, maybe, when the teachers barely gave her a second glance. "See?" she'd told Ursula. "They're not falling all over themselves to give their last goodbyes. They know _full well_ that I'll be back, safe and sound, and normal!"

            "Or they just don't care either way," said Ursula, blinking casually. "It's not like you're universally loved, Agnes."

            Agnes fumed over this for quite some time, or at least until she forgot about it entirely.

            Margaret spent less time in the room toward the end of the semester. Most of her time she spent studying for finals and keeping herself focused. However, she always somehow managed to keep her masses of friends happy with her.

            "How does she _do_ it?" Ursula asked Agnes one day. "She finds time for everyone and everything. She makes great grades and practically has worshippers despite how much work she puts in… you're her sister, what's her secret?"

            "I don't know," said Agnes honestly.

            Ursula snorted and went back to watched Margaret from afar with admiring eyes. "Go figure," she said, though less vindictive than normal. Agnes found herself not minding so much.

            After finals, in the last few days that many referred to as 'fluff', Margaret put her attention back on Ursula and Agnes.

            "Gosh, I've been so busy!" she said with a laugh. "I've barely had any time at all… you guys aren't mad about that, are you? I did try to--"

            "We're not mad," said Ursula quickly. "Hell, you made more time for us than you should have."

            Margaret glowed in appreciation. "I still feel I could have spent more time with the both of you… you especially, Agnes! You'll be gone soon."

            "I have the whole summer home," said Agnes. "Besides, it'll only be a few months, and then I'll be back home."

            After an uncomfortable pause, Margaret forced a laugh. "Yes, of course," she said. "But a summer will be by before you know it."

            That week ended with the teachers cleaning up after the rowdier students who had partied their last few days away. Margaret insisted on helping, but they shooed her away from the school to the bus station with Agnes.

            The bus ride home was uneventful, and even a little boring. Agnes would have slept if not for the fact the bus smelled too strongly of lemons, and was a tad too bumpy.

            "We should live closer to school," Agnes complained.

            "Tell that to dad," said Margaret, munching on a chocolate bar. "He's dead set on living in Ohio until he's found something interesting there… at all."

            "Good plan," Agnes said with a snort. "He won't be dying then."

            Margaret grinned. "I see your time with Ursula has at least given you a smart tongue," she said.

            "I don't know if that's a bad thing or not," said Agnes with a frown. She looked out the window and pressed her backpack closer to her chest.

            "Its fine," said Margaret, checking her watch. "She'll probably influence you enough this summer to keep people in Hogwarts on their toes."

            "This summer?" Agnes whirled around to face Margaret, her brown eyes wide. "Is she visiting? You didn't tell me that."

            "I invited her before we got on the bus," said Margaret, smiling. "You were distracted by a Mickey Mouse cloud, if I recall."

            Huffing indignantly, Agnes patted her thick braids hair down. "When is she coming over?"

            "She says her parents won't care either way, but she does need to go home and check in with them… she lives in Albany, so her trip is a bit longer. We'll know in a day or two."

------------------------

            "There you are! We've been waiting for _hours_, what on earth took so long?"

            Agnes was greeted with this as soon as she got off the bus, along with the grinning sunburned face of Mr. Marshall. She smiled back at him, and waved cheerfully as Margaret squealed and leapt into their father's arms.

            "Ah, my _girls_! I've missed you both," he said, giving Margaret a tight squeeze. "I assume you have good reports from school to show me."

            "Only the best," Margaret assured. "Where's mom?"

            "In the car," Mr. Marshall admitted, adjusting his glasses and grinning. "We've really only been here a few minutes." He suddenly drew Agnes into a tight hug. "_There's_ my exchange student! Bet you're all excited about Hogwarts, eh? Your mom had a third cousin that went there I think… wrote to us something about a ghost."

            "A ghost?" Agnes gaped. "There's a _ghost_ there?"

            "Well, you know how your mom's relatives are… they could've imagined it. Now let's go out to dinner before we head home. A new restaurant opened downtown last month that I think you'll both like!"

            It was a bit of a lame 50's themed burger place, and after thirty seconds Agnes began to loath the bright red jukebox in the corner. But the food was good and she did slowly find herself enjoying her parents again.

            Mr. Marshall was very tall, a trait Agnes had inherited. He wasn't old, but he was beginning to show signs of age under his eyes and around his mouth. He smiled almost constantly and his gray eyes were almost blue whenever he laughed… or, rather, guffawed.

            Mrs. Marshall was a good deal quieter and resembled Margaret more. Agnes barely saw herself in her mother at all, except perhaps for the tendency to keep silent in conversations, preferring a more social person to dominate the discussions. She was barely taller than Margaret, with frizzy brown hair pulled back into a tight, yet somehow failed ponytail. She wore small, thin wired glasses and dressed in a plain gray pantsuit.

            "You know," said Margaret after a pause in the socializing. "Agnes made a friend this year!"

            "_No_!" Mr. Marshall put on a look of dramatic surprise, and though he made it look feigned, Agnes knew he probably was actually shocked. "I sure hope it wasn't some _boy_."

            "Hardly," said Agnes quickly, suddenly interested in her fries more. "Besides, she's more Margaret's friend. I don't talk with her much."

            "Her name is Ursula," said Margaret. "We've invited her over the summer, I hope you don't mind."

            "Since when have we ever minded?" Mr. Marshall asked.

            Agnes knew that was true. Margaret often invited friends from school to stay for weeks on end at their place. Agnes never invited anyone unless she was forced to for a birthday party or something… which they hadn't made her do since she was ten.

            "I'm glad your skills with people are improving," said Mr. Marshall with a firm nod at Agnes. "You'll need them at Hogwarts! Chocked _full_ of magic kids there, according to your mama's cousin Al. Isn't that right, Cathy?"

            Mrs. Marshall smiled gently and nodded. "Al always spoke highly of Hogwarts. He wrote again when I told him of your transfer… gave me all sorts of tips to pass on to you. He said to wear shoes as often as possible… American feet apparently aren't meant for cold British castle floors."

            "Dad said he mentioned a ghost?"

            "He didn't say much about that," said Mrs. Marshall. "But Al spent all his years at Hogwarts. Born and bred Englishman, and all."

            "We're barely related," said Margaret with a smile.

            Mrs. Marshall nodded. "At all. But he was always kind when I saw him at reunions, and now he writes twice a week with Agnes going to his pride and joy! He says he can't _wait_ to hear which House you're sorted into."

            "House?" Agnes asked, picturing an actual two-story building with a white picket fence. It made absolutely no sense in the context of the conversation whatsoever.

            "He didn't explain," said Mrs. Marshall. "You'll find out when you get there. He says the rules are pretty clean-cut and the atmosphere is very comfortable. You'll see all sorts of things… he says the Grounds are beautiful and _dangerous_."

            Agnes stopped eating instantly. "Dangerous?"

            "Oh, I'm sure he meant nothing by it," said Mr. Marshall with a bark of a laugh. "Old cousin Al is just out to make things sound exciting for you!"

            "_Exciting_?" Agnes squeaked.

            "Is Hogwarts much bigger than our school?" Margaret interrupted, her eyes wide with curiosity.

            "Much!" said Mr. Marshall. "Al said there were close to a _thousand_ kids attending when he was there years ago. It could be even bigger now!"

            Agnes and Margaret shared in the surprise. Enrichment Magic was almost pathetically small… there were seventeen wizarding schools in the lower forty-eight states of America, and theirs was probably the smallest and least acknowledged. _Probably no one at Hogwarts will have heard of it, _Agnes thought to herself, suddenly embarrassed.

            "But these Houses make it sound like you won't be interacting with the whole school body," said Mrs. Marshall, spotting the look of mortal terror on Agnes' face. "I admit I don't know how it works but perhaps Cousin Al will shed some light."

            Agnes found herself not comforted at all by this.

------------------------

            Settling back into her small bedroom wasn't hard on Agnes. She was as easy going as anyone could ask for, though she knew her complacency might very well be challenged by the huge change in the exchange program.

            She tried to spend as much time as possible in her room, memorizing the bare walls and the collection of raggedy teddy bears she stopped collected when she was three. She had old journals half-written in strewn about the room… she'd never been the type to worry over her parents finding her writings. In fact, she was sure they feared dying of boredom so they never bothered asking about her personal life very much.

            Her parents treated her with the same delicate oddity they always did. Mr. Marshall always got her up in the morning with the promise of a big dad-baked breakfast. His favorite dish to make was hotcakes… a dish Agnes had sworn off all her school years thanks to eating it so much at home.

            Mrs. Marshall was gentle with Agnes, but this was nothing special… she was just a generally sweet person to everyone. Agnes had never seen the woman lose her temper, and doubted she even had one. In fact, when Agnes was eight she had gotten heavily into cheesy science fiction films and one day questioned her father if Mrs. Marshall was a robot.

            While her parents acted no differently, Margaret was a different story. She had always been accepting of Agnes, and rarely pushed her into talking or hanging out too much. But now it seemed Margaret was in Agnes' room at every free moment, or taking Agnes down to the patio with her, or talking in the living room over popcorn and 80s sitcoms.

            "Why are we hanging out so much?" Agnes asked after a month of this behavior.

            "Well, why not?" Margaret laughed. "Unlike normal, I won't see you all school year. Might as well enjoy the summer while we have it, huh?"

            Agnes hadn't noticed the way Margaret had looked away and changed the topic very quickly.

            Ursula visited every so often, and would stay for a while. She seemed much friendlier in the loose atmosphere of the Marshall household. She didn't mind that the guest room was undergoing massive renovation. She slept on an inflated mattress in Margaret's room, but she and Margaret both spent most their time in Agnes' room.

            "Your room is dull," Ursula noted the first day she saw it. "Most kids put up pictures or _some_thing."

            "I don't have any," said Agnes. "I remember faces very well… I've never needed a photograph to remember."

            "We'll give you some before you leave to Hogwarts," said Margaret, then she started giggling. "Have you heard, Agnes? Ursula couldn't remember the name of the school in one of her letters and kept guessing! She guessed everything from Pigpimple to Swineacne. I've never laughed so hard!"

            The summer was slow and every day brought more anxious agony. Agnes paced often and tried her hardest to think of how new and exciting this could be. Of course, those weren't _her_ words, but her parents'… she saw it as ridiculous.

            "_Why_ did I ever sign up?" Agnes demanded one day out of the blue, feeling overwhelmed from the sleepless nights. "I've never wanted to do _any_thing like this! I'm comfortable where I am, living a boring and completely eventless life. Why did I sign up to be shipped off to some stupid castle?"

            "I thought you _liked_ that it was a castle," said Ursula, looking up from the girly magazine she and Margaret had bought for the sole purpose of making fun of the anorexic models.

            "I do!" said Agnes. "But the cons outweigh the pros here!"

            "You don't know that," said Margaret. "And in any case, don't worry, okay? You'll be fine, you'll go there, finish up your year, and come back safe and sound."

            Agnes did notice the look Ursula shot at Margaret, whose smile instantly faltered into an embarrassed gape.

            "_Safe_?" Agnes frowned. "Oh… _I_ get it. You guys are just hanging out with me this much because you figure I'll be dead before the end of the year." When Ursula scowled, Agnes shrugged. "Sorry, Ursula."

            "It's not that," Margaret stammered. "We'll miss you, that's all…"

            "Stop worrying about whether I'll live or not," said Agnes firmly. "I'll be fine… Laura was tragic, but the same thing will _not_ happen to me. I promise you."

            Margaret and Ursula exchanged glances… Margaret's a worried stare and Ursula's a comforting smile. Margaret sighed and looked back at Agnes. "See, Agnes," she said. "Ursula and I have been talking about this curse and what it could mean for you. It's important you don't fall victim to whatever Laura did."

            "I won't!" Agnes insisted.

            "I know, I know, you said that," said Margaret uneasily. "But just in case, Ursula and I plan to write you weekly and we want you to write back every day."

            "Every _day_?" Agnes stopped seething and blinked. "What if I'm busy?"

            "_Every day_," Ursula pressed.

            "It's _important_, Aggie," said Margaret, using the name she'd not used since she was six. "We want you to report to us _everything_ that happens to you… whether its your studies, your friends, or your… physical appearance. These were the warning signs we spotted in Laura's old letters."

            "And what if the same thing starts happening?" Agnes asked, getting up from her floor and sitting on the edge of her bed.

            "We'll… we plan to alert some one," said Margaret, her voice so uneasy that Agnes felt a twinge of fear.

            "Who would listen?" Agnes asked in a small voice.

            "We'll _make_ some one listen," said Ursula, more to Margaret than Agnes. She put a hand around Margaret's small shoulders. "It'll be fine… who knows. This whole Laura thing just could have been a big, weird coincidence that just happens to have a curse somewhat similar to it mentioned in a restricted magic book."

            "I'm no stranger to sarcasm, Ursula," said Agnes, bristling.

            "Good to know."

            "It's getting very late," said Margaret, her voice shaking unmistakably, but she smiled up at her sister anyway. "We should be heading to bed now… we all need sleep. Our heads are heated from the summer weather, and arguing won't help any of us." She stood, barely taller than the seating Agnes at full height. "Good night, Aggie."

------------------------

            No one woke Agnes up on August 18th. It was well past ten when she woke up, blinking in disbelief at the clock. Her door was open, and she could smell no evidence of hotcakes and sausage from the downstairs kitchen. She wrenched back her covers and scrambled out of bed, hurrying into a pair of jeans and one of her dad's old university t-shirts.

            She hurried downstairs, making no attempt to be quiet. She found her family in the dining room. Ursula had gone back home to appease her parents the day before, and so she'd likely be gone until the late afternoon. Margaret was sitting primly with a handkerchief wadded up in her hand. She was the first to notice Agnes.

            "Agnes!" she said. "We've been waiting."

            "Hello, sweetheart," said Mrs. Marshall, smiling calmly. "We have a letter we got today from Albus Dumbledore… you're to be leaving within the week."

            "The week!" Agnes grasped the back of a chair facing opposite her mother. "But the term doesn't start until September! I have _weeks_ to go!"

             "The Headmaster wishes to have you stay with a wizarding family so you'll be safely escorted to the train station like a normal student," she said, her smile fixed. "Since you live with Muggles he would like you to have a bit of time fully immersed into the experience of living with a wizarding family."

            Agnes' thoughts instantly painted a picture of a crazy old woman brewing potions with a single crooked tooth and a shrieking laugh.

            "But… the _week_?" Agnes asked again meekly.

            "Yes," said Mrs. Marshall. "I suggest you begin your packing. It should be another two to three days, so I would hurry."

            Agnes just stared. Two to three _days_?

            "I'd suggest you and Margaret spend some time together while you're here," said Mr. Marshall, speaking up for the first time and sounding a good deal more quiet than usual. "She was _very_ upset by the news. She'll sure miss you, little bug… we all will."

            Not for the first time that summer, Agnes felt incredibly frightened by those words.

------------------------

            Dumbledore was to arrive at the house early afternoon, shortly after lunch. Agnes couldn't eat at all… Margaret and Ursula followed her everywhere she went, not saying a word between them. Agnes felt more and more uncomfortable in their presence… even Ursula had an odd look on her face and kept her hand on Margaret's trembling shoulder.

            Agnes' parents also kept close, hugging her often and giving her last minute advice straight from cousin Al. Mrs. Marshall insisted on putting ribbons in Agnes' hair, which Agnes planned on removing as soon as it was too busy for her mother to do anything about.

            Once alone with Margaret and Ursula in her room, Agnes whirled around on the two of them.

            "You've hardly said a word _all_ day," said Agnes. "Now stop being so… so _weepy_. I will be fine. You see, the _Headmaster_ is coming for me! It must mean if there is a curse, Hogwarts probably knows about it and they're taking care of it! Why would they send me otherwise?"

            Margaret sniffed. "Sorry," she said. "It's just hard to overcome fear."

            "You're _still_ to write everyday," said Ursula firmly. "No matter what the Headmaster says when you guys talk, you can't slack off. You got me?"

            "Yeah, I got you," said Agnes, half expecting Ursula to personally come over to Hogwarts and beat her senseless if she forgot.

            "And you're to tell us _everything_," said Ursula. "No matter how _complacent_ you may be about some change or another, if it's a change it's important!"

            Agnes resisted a military-type affirmation. "Yeah," she said.

            "Whether that _horribly_ frizzy hair of yours calms down, or your large _nose_ seems less crooked, or your eyebrow becomes _two_ eyebrows, or your knees stop being _bony_, or your _chest_ grows, or…"

            "Ursula!" Margaret blushed and giggled a little at Agnes' blank face. "Sorry, Aggie, I'm sure she didn't mean to offend."

            "Why?" said Agnes. "I don't mind the things wrong with me. Makes me stand out."

            "Sure… keep telling yourself that," said Ursula with a good-natured smile to balance her words.

            "Agnes!" Mr. Marshall called from downstairs.

            "Well, I guess he's here," Margaret took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm sure going to miss you, Agnes…" Then she blinked, and burst into tears.

            Agnes walked over and drew Margaret into an uncomfortable hug. She had never seen Margaret cry so shamelessly. Ursula wrapped her huge arms around the both of them.

            "_Agnes_!" Mr. Marshall repeated after a moment's time.

            Agnes blushed lightly and pulled away from the embrace to grab her suitcase. "Come on then," she said, dragging the heavy suitcase out the door and down the stairs, followed by Ursula and Margaret, who was quickly wiping her face dry with a napkin.

            Once downstairs, Agnes froze at the sight of a very old man sitting on the easy chair in the living room. He was examining his surroundings with a barely noticeable smile, his long white beard hanging past his knees and gathering in a small clump on the floor around his feet. He wore deep purple robes lined in silver and red. His calm eyes were accented by half-moon spectacles.

            He noticed Agnes almost immediately and he gave her a wide smile. She probably should have been comforted by it, but she couldn't help but be distracted by his obvious comfort with wearing robes.

            "Agnes!" Mrs. Marshall stood from her place on the loveseat beside Mr. Marshall. "Headmaster Dumbledore is here to take you to your wizard family host."

            "It is, of course, only temporary until school begins in September," said Dumbledore. His voice was oddly clear and direct for a man of his age. Agnes briefly wondered how old he was. "After the school year is over you have the choice to go back to your wizarding family for a while or go straight home."

            Agnes turned to glance back at Margaret and Ursula, who returned her look with incredulous frowns.

            "He's to be taking you to Hogwarts through the fireplace," said Mr. Marshall uncertainly.

            "_Floo_!" Margaret goggled. "I've never gotten to use that."

            "I've never _heard_ of it," said Agnes.

            "It is uncomplicated," said Dumbledore, standing. His beard didn't quite reach the floor, but it was close. He patted it down. "We will go straight to Diagon Alley to purchase your schoolbooks, which your parents have given me enough money to do. Afterwards we shall meet with your family and they will take you to their home for the remainder of the month."

            Agnes stared at him for a good while before nodding numbly.

            "I must make a quick stop in the lavatory, if you don't mind," said Dumbledore. "You should have a moment alone to say your farewells to family and friend." He smiled toward Ursula, who blinked as Dumbledore left the room.

            "Oh, _Agnes_," Mrs. Marshall bustled over and stood on her toes to wrap her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "We'll miss you ever so much! You'll write of course."

            "No worries _there_," said Agnes truthfully, trying to return the hug.

            Mr. Marshall put his arm around Agnes and gave her a quick squeeze. "Now you watch out… those British boys won't know what hit 'em! Wouldn't want my little girl taken advantage of."

            "Dad!" Agnes flushed deeply. "That _won't_ be a problem."

            Margaret rushed around and leapt up to throw her arms around Agnes. "I'll miss you, Aggie! I know you'll write, so I won't bring that up… but here," she smiled and dropped down to her height again, pulling something from her pocket. It was a small picture album, thin enough to fit. Agnes opened it and flipped through… it had old family picture in there, and recent ones of the parents, Margaret, and even Ursula. On the last page was a picture of Agnes.

            "Why is there one of me?" Agnes asked.

            Margaret said nothing, and Ursula walked up and clapped a hand on Agnes' shoulder. Agnes winced, but Ursula didn't notice. "Good luck, _chica_," she said. "We're waiting for you."

            Dumbledore returned shortly after this, with a small bag of powder. He smiled and gestured for Agnes to come over. She did, dragging her suitcase. "I'll take the suitcase… we wouldn't want it getting lost in your first Floo travel."

            "Sure," said Agnes, suddenly very unsure of this _'Floo'_. She kept her eyes on the bag of powder.

            Dumbledore opened the bag. "Hold out your hand," he said. She did, and he poured a small pile into her hand. "That should be a handful's worth… you are to toss it into the fire and shout _'Diagon_ _Alley'_ very clearly, do you understand?"

            "Yes, I do… then what?"

            "Well, you are to walk into the fire."

            Agnes gaped. "Oh… okay," she said, gulping. "Will it burn?"

            "Of course not," Dumbledore said, taking out his wand and lighting the fireplace with it. "Go on… speak very clearly, mind you. People can get lost if they mumble. When you get there, wait for me, and do not wander off. It wouldn't do to have you lost _any_where, would it?"

            With _that_ pleasant thought clear in her mind, Agnes squared her bony shoulders and tossed the powder into the fire. It turned a sparking green color. "_Diagon_ _Alley_!" She said, hoping her American accent wouldn't somehow affect it. Closing her eyes tightly, she walked into the green fire.

            Agnes had never been one to get dizzy easily. She could hang upside down to do her homework and never fill the ill effects of it later. But this tested her limits… she twirled and somersaulted and was tossed and flung in every which way. She would have screamed if she thought her lungs might work.

            Before she could pass out from this roller coast from hell, she was tossed out onto a hard wooden floor, coughing like mad. She tentatively opened her eyes, her vision clouded by the ash on her glasses. She took them off and started trying to rub the glass with her shirt, but it wasn't working well… the shirt was just as filthy.

            She had moved enough from the fireplace, luckily, that when Dumbledore appeared behind her, she wasn't in the way. She squinted to try and see him clearly, but he was just a blur. Despite her vision, she could tell he wasn't covered in soot.

            "Tut! Must keep up appearances… _scourgify_," said Dumbledore with great amusement, using this spell to clean Agnes' clothes and skin. Agnes thanked him quietly and put her glasses back on.

            "Where's my luggage?" she asked.

            "I sent it on ahead to the house," said Dumbledore calmly. "It seemed a rather silly idea to cart it around all day, am I right?"

            "Oh… yeah," said Agnes. She turned around away from Dumbledore to survey the busy street full of brightly colored robes and odd looking characters. Banners hung for shops, with moving pictures on signs inviting people in. "Is this the Alley?" She turned back to look at the fireplace and frowned. "There's just a fireplace in the middle of the street?"

            "What better place?" asked Dumbledore. "Let's see," he pulled a long sheet of parchment from a pocket. "First we must buy your books! Then we shall purchase other things you may need this year, including a cauldron."

            "I get my own? Back at home we just use some old school cauldrons."

            Dumbledore smiled patiently.

            The shopping went by quickly. The books she needed were right there in the open, easily accessible. The store owner was helpful, and intrigued by Agnes' accent. It took her four times of telling him that Ohio wasn't all that exciting before she could get out of the store, books in hand.

            Agnes was never a very observant person, but after a while it was obvious even to her the looks people gave Dumbledore. Some were a mix of surprise and awe, and even a few glared at him. A lot of people whispered and pointed, and hardly anyone spotted Agnes at all.

            She bought the cheapest cauldron she could find that Dumbledore still approved of. Afterwards she had everything she would need, and they went for ice cream and to wait for Agnes' host family to pick her up there.

            Dumbledore picked an exciting variety of scoops in his ice cream, complete with sprinkles that twinkled like stars. Agnes was slow in eating her two scoops of chocolate, distracted by the sprinkles.

            "You seem to have a lot on your mind," said Dumbledore. "All of this must be very unusual to you."

            "I live in a Muggle home, so… yes, it is," said Agnes, tearing her eyes away from the Headmaster's ice cream.

            "The family you will be staying with I think you will like," Dumbledore continued, eating a scoop of lemon ice cream. "They are much respected."

            "Mr. Dumbledore… Headmaster… sir…" Agnes grabbed at names, not knowing which to pick. "A couple of things are really bothering me…"

            "Hm?"

            "Well, for starters… _why_ did you pick me up? I mean, you must be very busy, and I'm only an exchange student… no one even a _little_ important," said Agnes, looking down at her hands as they wrung nervously in her lap. "I was wondering… if it had anything to do with Laura."

            Dumbledore let a moment of silence go by, long enough to make Agnes look up at him in curiosity. He had a slight frown and a sad look in his eyes. "Laura's fate is a very regrettable one," he said slowly. "Our students were very sad to see such a noble girl pass on. She was well liked by nearly everyone she met… and though death is merely a step into another realm, it is sad to see such a young woman leave us."

            Agnes felt cold. "But… Laura _wasn't_ that great!" she insisted. "Back in school, she was… snobbish! She didn't have any friends, and she wasn't even that attractive… at all. In fact, she was sort of _ugly_ with that scowl on her face all the time. No one liked her much, except her roommate. She wasn't noble, or, or… complicated. She was simple, a nobody!"

            Dumbledore raised both of his eyebrows curiously, staring very intently at Agnes. He was frowning still, but it was an odd frown. "Hmm," he said. "Perhaps she changed with her environment… it happens." She noted a hint of hesitation in his voice, but forgot it almost instantly when he suddenly smiled. "We should go and meet your host family. You'll be staying with the Longbottoms… you'll see some of Neville during the year, depending on which House you are Sorted into."

            "House…" Agnes nodded. "I meant to ask you…"

            "Ah yes," said Dumbledore. "There are four Houses you can be Sorted into… you will eat, sleep, and spend your free time with your Housemates, and your behavior will either earn or cut points for your House. There is a great deal of pride involved in House related issues, and a closeness in Housemates. You'll be Sorted at the opening ceremony along with the first years."

            "Does it just pick randomly?"

            "Oh, no," Dumbledore shook his head. "It depends on your personality, what traits you have in your heart and head. The Sorting Hat will tell."

            _A hat?_ Agnes stared in disbelief. _I hope 'hat' is  just short for something…_

            "You'll find out when you get there," said Dumbledore, making Agnes jump and wonder if he'd read her thoughts. He gave her a confident smile and pulled a watch from his pocket. "My, it's almost time! You're to meet the lady of the Longbottom house, Neville's grandmother. Come, let's hurry. She prides herself on punctuality."

            Agnes followed him to meet the Longbottoms, trying to keep her worries about Laura hidden.

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End file.
